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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29261688">Important Things</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicedGold/pseuds/SpicedGold'>SpicedGold</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, These boys are awkward and trying to navigate feelings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:06:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,533</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29261688</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicedGold/pseuds/SpicedGold</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shikadai spends more time than he would care to admit just watching Inojin.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nara Shikadai/Yamanaka Inojin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Important Things</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My sister said Inojin is a genderfluid pansexual and now I can't unsee it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So this guy, right,” Chocho continued, waving one hand theatrically. “Trips right in front of me, and his friends just stare at him, and I was like ‘I see you fell for me’, and he doesn’t even laugh.”</p>
<p>“It might have been the broken nose that stopped him,” Shikadai said dryly. “That, or the blood gushing out of it.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, were you there?” Chocho turned to face him, and Inojin squawked in protest.</p>
<p>“Stay still!” He huffed. “I’m not done yet. You’re ruining the line.”</p>
<p>“Anyway, one of his friends,” Chocho straightened again, facing Inojin, who was perched in front of her and very, very carefully tracing her bottom eyelid with a black eyeliner pen. “Gets to talking to me, and it turns out he likes the same movies I do, and I asked if he was free tonight, and he said yes, so now we’re going out and this guy will be the one, I just feel it.”</p>
<p>“You said that about the last five boys,” Inojin commented idly, eying his handiwork.</p>
<p>“For the record,” Shikadai was lying on Inojin’s bed, one foot on the floor, the other propped up on the bed, eyes on his handheld game. “I never asked how you found a date. I feel dumber for hearing the story.”</p>
<p>“I think it’s cute,” Inojin placed a finger under Chocho’s chin, tilting her head slightly and examining his line from every angle.</p>
<p>“Also, why are you making Inojin do your make-up if you’re going to see a movie? That dude isn’t going to notice it, sitting in the dark staring at a screen.”</p>
<p>“There’s a before and after to the movie,” Chocho pointed out. “And why are you even here, if all you’re going to do is complain?”</p>
<p>“Because complaining is my thing, and you hijacked my boyfriend.” Shikadai shrugged, never taking his eyes off his screen. “I’m waiting for Inojin to finish, so we can go out.”</p>
<p>“Can I braid your hair?” Inojin asked, picking out another, thinner pen, and applying it evenly and skillfully to Chocho’s face.</p>
<p>“Yeah, sure,” Chocho said. “I didn’t really plan anything with my hair.”</p>
<p>“Please don’t encourage him,” Shikadai muttered.</p>
<p>“I’m an artist, Shikadai,” Inojin said, with a haughty toss of his head. “A face is just another canvas.”</p>
<p>He sat back a bit to admire his handiwork. Chocho turned her head to the side to look at the mirror they had propped on Inojin’s desk. “Ooo, it’s looking good.”</p>
<p>“I’m not done,” Inojin claimed. “Still gotta add the eye shadow.”</p>
<p>“I don’t like how good you are at this,” Shikadai grumbled.</p>
<p>“Man up,” Chocho replied. “He’s a free, incredibly talented make-up artist. Don’t tell him he shouldn’t do it.”</p>
<p>“Done,” Inojin sat back with a pleased looking smile. “What do you think?”</p>
<p>Chocho inspected her face in the mirror. “You get better every time, Inojin.”</p>
<p>She stood up. “I’ll brush my hair out, and then you can do whatever you want with it.”</p>
<p>“Bring back some extra hair ties,” Inojin said. “There’s a bunch under the sink.”</p>
<p>“Yup,” Chocho raised a thumbs up as she sauntered from the room.</p>
<p>Inojin shuffled the make-up around his desk, picking up a tube of mascara. “This stuff is so good; I wonder where she got it from.”</p>
<p>“Put it down,” Shikadai said firmly.</p>
<p>“I’m not doing anything.” Inojin turned the tube around in his hands.</p>
<p>“Don’t even think about putting any of it on.”</p>
<p>“Chocho brought her own make up; none of it works with my skin tone,” Inojin said, but he would sound more convincing if he wasn’t peering into the mirror and brushing mascara onto his eyelashes.</p>
<p>“Inojin,” Shikadai said warningly.</p>
<p>“I’m just getting used to it,” Inojin snapped. “I’m not going to wear it every day. Just getting the hang of using it. It feels different to apply.”</p>
<p>“Ugh,” Shikadai rolled his eyes. “If you pick up anything else I’m throwing something at you.”</p>
<p>“It’ll be yourself, because I’m going to look amazing,” Inojin replied flippantly, and Shikadai snorted flatly. “I’ll take it off before we go out.”</p>
<p>“You better.”</p>
<p>Inojin sent Shikadai a sideways look over his shoulder, always keen to irritate. “Although . . . Look at all the different lipsticks she brought with her . . .”</p>
<p>“No,” Shikadai growled.</p>
<p>“Most of hers are red, though,” Inojin stood up, coming over to the bed. “I look better in pink.”</p>
<p>“You look better not wearing any.”</p>
<p>Shikadai grunted as Inojin sat on him, and lowered his game to scowl at the blond.</p>
<p>“I hate it when you wear make-up,” he said flatly.</p>
<p>“I hate it when you’re so close-minded,” Inojin leant down, hands on either side of Shikadai’s head, their lips hovering just apart. “Lighten up a little.”</p>
<p>Shikadai lifted his head to kiss Inojin softly. “No.”</p>
<p>“Why not? What’s wrong with me having fun?”</p>
<p>“First off,” Shikadai raised a hand, cupping Inojin’s cheek and gently running his thumb under the other boy’s eye, “I hate the mascara because, at the risk of sounding like a cheesy romantic, it covers all the colours of your eyelashes.”</p>
<p>“What?” Inojin cocked his head a bit. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>Shikadai heaved a sigh. “Your eyelashes are lots of different colours. Kinda dark brown with a couple blond ones . . . it’s different. I hate when you wear make-up, because it’s all just black and it covers up who you really are . . .”</p>
<p>“What else?” Inojin asked curiously.</p>
<p>“You’re a boy, what else should I need to add?” Shikadai raised an eyebrow. “No make-up. That’s it.”</p>
<p>“But it makes me look good, and it annoys you,” Inojin grinned. “Two things I love.”</p>
<p>“Start finding other things to love,” Shikadai grumbled. He slid his hand behind Inojin’s neck to pull him down, fumbling a bit into the kiss before Inojin relaxed against him, tilting his head to better the angle.</p>
<p>Shikadai nipped lightly at Inojin’s lower lip, and Inojin replied by grinding his hips down.</p>
<p>“Ugh,” Chocho could be heard. “I leave the room for five minutes and you two are already groping each other.” She sighed. “Inojin, fix my hair first, then do whatever you two do when you think no one is watching.”</p>
<p>Inojin removed himself from Shikadai’s lap. He took the hair ties and hairbrush that she offered, and parked himself behind her.</p>
<p>Shikadai picked his game up again, and the three of them were silent for a while. Inojin braided away happily, catching Chocho’s eye in the mirror and smiling at her, which she promptly returned. When he was finished, he took a step back from her.</p>
<p>“There. All done. Now you’re ready to go out.”</p>
<p>Chocho admired herself in the mirror. “Pretty soon you’ll be my free hairdresser <em>and</em> free make-up artist.”</p>
<p>Shikadai groaned loudly at the notion, but was ignored by both teammates.</p>
<p>Chocho looked herself over once more, before turning to give Inojin a quick peck on the cheek. “Thank you. I’ll be off, then.”</p>
<p>“Enjoy your date,” Inojin said, and Shikadai waved vaguely.</p>
<p>“I will,” Chocho sauntered out the room, saying casually, “Don’t lose all my make-up, I’ll fetch it tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Inojin glanced at the desk, then at Shikadai, who raised an eyebrow at him. “Wanna go out?”</p>
<p>“Not really,” Shikadai shrugged, eyes back on his game. “We can just stay here.”</p>
<p>“Okay. Let me put this stuff away.” Inojin gathered Chocho’s make-up and the mirror, and wandered to the bathroom to store it on the counter. He hated his desk staying cluttered in case he wanted to draw or paint on a whim, and needed the space.</p>
<p>Inojin figured he also better remove the mascara before Shikadai had a complete hissy fit – and people called Inojin a dramatic bitch; had they ever met Shikadai? It was while he was doing that, that he leant forward to peer very closely at his eyes in the mirror, curiosity sparked by their earlier conversation.</p>
<p>Sure enough, when he wiped the black off, he could see that Shikadai was right. Inojin’s eyelashes were several colours. He leaned in closer, trying to spot the blond hairs Shikadai had mentioned. They were scattered between deep brown and other colours Inojin didn’t have names for. He stared for a while, smiling idly at himself, wondering when exactly Shikadai had taken the time to really look at him.</p>
<p>He wandered back to Shikadai and plopped onto the bed beside him, stretching leisurely along the taller boy’s side. He let the silence sit between them, listening to the bleeps of Shikadai’s game, before his curiosity won out.</p>
<p>“What else?” Inojin asked again.</p>
<p>“Hm?” Shikadai glanced at him. “What?”</p>
<p>“What are other small things you like about me?” Inojin shifted closer. “Other than my eyelashes being different colours?”</p>
<p>Shikadai grunted, a sound he often made when faced with Inojin’s insistence on sharing feelings.</p>
<p>“What else do you know about me that I don’t know about myself?”</p>
<p>Because while Shikadai was lazy and disinterested, he was never unobservant. He just didn’t act on things, but he noticed everything. Shikadai stared at him, frowning, clearly weighing his words carefully.</p>
<p>Inojin remained quiet, his head propped up on one hand, other hand laid casually across Shikadai’s stomach.</p>
<p>“You bite the right side of your lip when you’re drawing,” Shikadai murmured, looking away. “Always the right side.”</p>
<p>Inojin cocked his head to the side, waiting for more.</p>
<p>Shikadai heaved a sigh, and added, “Your hair curls when it’s sweaty. After training sometimes, I can see it. There’s a bit at the back that kinda . . . stops being straight.”</p>
<p>“You also stop being straight when Inojin gets sweaty!” Chocho shouted from further in the house, and Shikadai growled back, “I thought you had left!”</p>
<p>“I’m halfway out the door! Enjoy your evening!” The front door slamming closed heralded her exit, and Shikadai let out an irritated breath.</p>
<p>“And?” Inojin prompted. “Tell me more.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Because I want to hear it.” He traced an absent circle on Shikadai’s stomach with the tip of his finger. “You never talk about things like this.”</p>
<p>Shikadai heaved a sigh, and draped one forearm across his eyes, mumbling, “You’re such a drag.”</p>
<p>Inojin grinned, wriggling close enough to kiss him softly. “I am. Now tell me more things about me that only you know.”</p>
<p>“Hm,” Shikadai groaned. “Why?”</p>
<p>“Because I want to know.”</p>
<p>Shikadai lifted his arm just enough to peer one eye at Inojin. “If I tell you, you’ll stop doing it.”</p>
<p>Inojin cocked his head to the side, waiting expectantly.</p>
<p>Shikadai closed his eyes. “I’m not telling you anything else.”</p>
<p>“One more thing.”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Please?” Inojin pressed closer, a long line of warmth down the side of Shikadai’s body. “Just one thing. One small thing, I promise I won’t change it or stop doing it.”</p>
<p>Shikadai just grunted in reply.</p>
<p>Inojin waited patiently, but after long minutes of silence, he poked Shikadai in the chest. “Please?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>Inojin huffed, but he knew Shikadai could be stubborn, so he dropped the subject. He lay more comfortably along Shikadai’s side, and traced little patterns on Shikadai’s chest. He started with a flower, then a bird, then a dragon.</p>
<p>“It’s that,” Shikadai mumbled quietly, his face burning.</p>
<p>“Hm?” Inojin glanced at him. Shikadai’s jaw was clenched tightly. “What?”</p>
<p>With a pained expression, Shikadai explained, “When you’re with me, you make patterns on me. Always. And . . .” His cheeks burned red. “I like it.”</p>
<p>“Huh.” Inojin paused, blinking, thinking. It was a habit, to forever want to create things, even fleeting things that didn’t exist, and now that he reflected on it, Shikadai was a common canvas for him.</p>
<p>“So don’t stop doing it,” Shikadai mumbled.</p>
<p>“I won’t,” Inojin assured. He smiled to himself, heart fluttering a bit, and traced a little smiling face on Shikadai’s chest. They lay together in silence for a while, before Inojin shifted a bit, and asked, “Wanna put a movie on and snuggle on the couch?”</p>
<p>Shikadai let out a breath. “Yeah, whatever.”</p>
<p>Before he could move, Inojin pinned him with a firm hand in the centre of his chest, and peered down at his eyes.</p>
<p>Shikadai stared back at him. “What now?”</p>
<p>“Just checking,” Inojin said absently. He looked searchingly at the forest green of Shikadai’s eyes, and observed, “All your eyelashes are the same colour.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inojin was using Shikadai’s hip as a pillow, tracing patterns on his thigh, when Chocho returned, and the boys both looked at her with matching expressions of surprise.</p>
<p>“Didn’t think you’d come back here,” Shikadai said, lowering the volume on the TV.</p>
<p>“How was the date?” Inojin asked.</p>
<p>Chocho heaved a sigh, and slumped down on the other end of the couch. “Went well.”</p>
<p>“So why are you in a heap?” Shikadai asked. “You don’t look like it went well.”</p>
<p>“We had a great time,” Chocho added. “But it turns out he’s just visiting his friend here in Konoha and he lives somewhere else, so that’s probably not going to go anywhere.” She let out a dramatic sigh. “What’s the point in finding a guy that you can never see?”</p>
<p>“You’ll find someone,” Inojin said encouragingly.</p>
<p>“Oh,” Chocho perked up a bit. “By the way, he said my make-up was amazing and he really liked it.”</p>
<p>Shikadai groaned, but Inojin lit up. “Really?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he said I looked great. I told him my friend did it all for me.” Chocho patted Inojin absently on the shoulder. “Thanks for that.”</p>
<p>“Any time,” Inojin replied, which pulled another groan of despair from Shikadai.</p>
<p>“What did you guys do?” Chocho asked, settling in to finish watching the movie with them.</p>
<p>“Mostly talked,” Inojin said. “About all the things Shikadai likes about me.”</p>
<p>“Aw, aren’t you two sweet,” Chocho cooed. “Did he mention the way you tug on your hair when you’re talking to people?”</p>
<p>“What?” Inojin whipped his head around to stare at Shikadai. “You never said that.”</p>
<p>“Yes, and I’m never saying anything to Chocho ever again,” Shikadai said dryly. He sent Chocho a look. “Don’t tell him things like that. He might stop doing them.”</p>
<p>“When you’re shy and talking to new people,” Chocho elaborated. “You pull on your ponytail. He thinks it’s cute.”</p>
<p>“How closely do you watch me?” Inojin asked, genuinely curious.</p>
<p>Shikadai shrugged awkwardly, looking fixedly ahead at the TV.</p>
<p>“He watches you all the time,” Chocho said. “Because you get distracted with your drawings, and talking about things you like, and getting lost in thought, and he has a lot of spare time to keep an eye on you.”</p>
<p>“You are the worst friend,” Shikadai said.</p>
<p>“I’m your wingman,” Chocho corrected.</p>
<p>“Well, go and wing somewhere else,” Shikadai grumbled.</p>
<p>Inojin shifted a bit, laying more firmly over Shikadai. “Don’t tell her to stop. I like hearing all the things you notice about me. Makes me feel special.”</p>
<p>Shikadai glanced at him briefly, letting out a contemplative ‘hrm’, before returning his attention to the TV.</p>
<p>“Why do you watch me so much?” Inojin asked, after a pause, voice just above a whisper and full of question.</p>
<p>For a while, Shikadai didn’t reply. He stared straight ahead.</p>
<p>Chocho patted Inojin absently, offering an encouragingly smile, and Inojin waited patiently.</p>
<p>Eventually, Shikadai muttered, “I like looking at things that are important to me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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